London, May 11, 2024: Manchester City continued their relentless pursuit of the Premier League title with a comprehensive 5-1 victory over Fulham at Craven Cottage in the 37th round of the competition.
City's dominance from the start:
Manchester City imposed their control on the proceedings from the opening whistle, threatening Fulham's goal early on through a powerful Kevin De Bruyne shot that was expertly saved by goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli. The Citizens continued their relentless pressure and took the lead in the 15th minute through their Algerian star Riyad Mahrez with a powerful strike from inside the penalty area.
Grealish's brilliance:
Mahrez did not stop there, adding his second goal and the team's second in the 27th minute after a decisive pass from Phil Foden. Manchester City continued their dominance, adding their third goal in the 39th minute through Jack Grealish with a stunning strike from outside the box.
Fulham's only goal:
Fulham narrowed the deficit in the 68th minute through Aleksandar Mitrovic after a cross from Bobby Reid.
City's control and skill on display:
As the match neared its end, Manchester City extended their lead with a fourth goal in the 81st minute through Phil Foden, before Phil Foden completed the goal fest with his fifth goal in the 86th minute.
Statistics and numbers:
Ball possession: Manchester City 68% - Fulham 32%
Shots on target: Manchester City 22 - Fulham 5
Shots on goal: Manchester City 9 - Fulham 2
Corners: Manchester City 8 - Fulham 3
Yellow cards: Manchester City 0 - Fulham 2
What the win means:
With this win, Manchester City raised their points tally to 85 in second place, one point behind leaders Arsenal with one round of matches remaining. Manchester City need to win their final match against Newcastle, while Arsenal draw or lose their match against Everton, to be crowned champions for the fifth time in six seasons.
Observations:
The match witnessed a standout performance from Manchester City star Jack Grealish, who created a goal and scored another.
Riyad Mahrez became the first player in Premier League history to score 20 goals and contribute 10 assists in a single season twice.
Fulham failed to win any of their last 13 matches against Manchester City.
Sources:
BBC Sport https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/65363995
Sky Sports https://www.skysports.com/football/fulham-vs-manchester-city/stats/464970
The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2023/apr/30/fulham-v-manchester-city-premier-league-live-score-updates
